MUNCIE, Ind. — Delaware County government has finalized its budget for next year.

County council met Tuesday morning and approved a $30 million general fund budget for 2019. Also approved were other budgets, including a $4 million highway budget and $2.5 million budget from revenue from a countywide public safety tax.

Council president Ron Quakenbush said he felt the seven-member county council had done due diligence in the weeks of budget hearings leading up to Tuesday's approval.

Council cut $3 million in budget requests to bring the budget to its total of $30,893,622.

The budget includes $1,000 pay raises for most county employees, said Donna Patterson, the county's chief budget deputy. Workers at the health department will receive 3-percent raises.

The $2,465,118 public safety tax budget will be spent in similar fashion to how it was spent this year, Patterson said. About $1,000,000 will be used for pensions for retired sheriff's deputies.

Other public safety revenue will be used for two correctional officers for the jail, one deputy and funds for the Delaware County prosecutor's office.

County officials noted that the county is in better financial shape than it was a year ago. The county has borrowed $1.6 million so far this year compared to $3.4 million the previous year, Patterson said.

The city of Muncie's 2019 budget has not yet been finalized.

Keith Roysdon is the government watchdog reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5828 and kroysdon@muncie.gannett.com.